AnimalTourism's mission is to help people find places where they can see wild animals and provide them with the latest news and information on the animal kingdom. There's something special about observing an animal in its own environment, an experience that can never be replicated with an animal in captivity. In a world increasingly made safe, homogenous, and boring, native animals may be the last, best thing that remains truly local, different, and maybe a little dangerous. We arm Animal Tourists with all the information they need to see the creatures they care about. After you read our tips and study our maps, all you need is a little bit of luck.
   

AnimalTourism's preference is always to experience creatures in the wild, but the next best thing is to see them at a wildlife rehabilitation facility or a sanctuary. AnimalTourism.com includes a continually updated resource of these facilities to offer Animal Tourists a safe, easy and humane experience with animals they're curious about.

We are also suckers for silly events such as basset hound waddles, farm sanctuary hoe downs or white squirrel festivals. These are fun special occasions where animals showcase their delightful character and people poke fun at their own obsessions. Like most Animal Tourists, we want to enjoy animals, not exploit them.

We focus on places close to where people live. Too many wildlife guides make it seem like you have to go to Alaska or Africa to see interesting animals, but they're all around us. The site's BY PLACE feature lets you find animals around where you live or where you're traveling. We'll show you how easy it is to get a glimpse or even have a more meaningful encounter with the animals that are all around you.

 

 

If you're drawn to a specific animal, check out the BY SPECIES section. You'll find the best places in the country and world to see your favorite animal. Maybe it will inspire you to take a trip of a lifetime.

 

You can also follow us on:
Twitter - Quick bites of animal news once or twice a day

Facebook - Our blog posts and other animal news


Blog - News every day on animals, animal-watching and animal watchers



About the editor : Carol Vinzant
Carol Vinzant is journalist and author with about 20 years experience writing for magazines, newspapers, websites and wire services. She has covered Wall Street for Fortune and the Washington Post; politics for Spy and the Chicago Tribune; and courts for the AP and Reuters. She wrote the book Lawyers, Guns & Money about a shooting victim uncovering an insurance scam in the handgun industry.

 

Along the way she wrote about animals whenever she got the chance. She grew up with every kind of animal, dogs to ducks. Now she is a wildlife rehabilitator in New York City.

 

About Animal TourisTS

• More Americans have fun watching wildlife than shooting it (71 million wildlife watchers versus 12.5 million hunters), according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
• We spend way more money ($46 billion versus on animal watching versus $23 billion on hunting).
• More than half of all hunters and anglers watch wildlife, too..
• 23 million wildlife watcher go to see animals away from home.
• We are birders, too. About 50 million of us feed, watch or photograph birds. That's 87% of us. But 70% of us also watch mammals.
• We spent $13 billion in 2006 on wildlife watching trips.